The Effects of sowing date and plant density on seed and flower yield of Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.)
Subject Areas : GeneticMJ Seghatoleslami 1 , gr Mousavi 2
1 - Agricultural college, Islamic Azad University, Birjand branch
2 - Agricultural college, Islamic Azad University, Birjand branch
Keywords: Yield, Seed, Marigold, harvest index, Flower diameter, Sowing date, Plant density, flower number,
Abstract :
Medicinal herbs have been used to promote health for centuries, and have increased in popularity and sales in the last 10-20 years. Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) is a medicinal herb whose dried flower heads are used to heal wounds. In order to understand the effects of sowing dates and plant density on grain and flower yield of pot marigold, an experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Center of Islamic Azad University, Birjand Branch in 2005. Three sowing dates (30 March, 14 April and 30 April) and three plant densities (plant distances on row were 10, 20 and 30 centimeters) were compared in a split- plot design based on randomized complete blocks with 3 replications. Seed and flower yield were significantly different at planting dates and plant densities. Sowing date had significant effects on flower and seed harvest index. The latest sowing date had the highest flower and seed harvest index. Plant density did not have any significant effect on flower harvest index, but the effect on seed harvest index, was significant. In total, the result showed that the first sowing date with 25plants/m2 had the highest grain and flower yield.
ADAS consulting Ltd. (2002). Calendula as Agronomic Raw Material for Industrial Application (CARMINA). (Final project report). ADAS Terrington, Terrington St Clement, King,s Lynn, Norfolk.
Borm, G. and van Dijk, N. (1994). Effects of sowing time, seed rate and row distance on Calendula officinalis L. grown for seed. In: Alternative oil seed and fiber crops for cool and wet regions of Europe. Proceeding of a workshop, 7-8 April. Wageningen, CPRO-DLO, The Netherlands, pp. 203.
Cromack, H. T. H. and Smith, J. M. (1998). Calendula officinalis, production potential and crop agronomy in southern England. Industrial Crops and Products. 7: 223- 229.
Hadley, P. and Summer Field, R. J. (1983). Effect of temperature and photoperiod on reproductive development of selected grain legume. Field Crops Abstract. 19:43
Kalvatchev, Z., Walder, R. and Garzaro, D. (1997). Anti- HIV activity of extracts from calendula. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, vol.51(4): 176-180.
Majumdar, D. K. (1986). An overview of research on production technologies of lentil in India. Food Legume Research. 30: 1-13.
Martin, R. J. and Deo, B. (2000). Effect of plant population on Calendula officinalis flower production. New Zealand J. of Crop and Hortic. Sci. 28(1):37-44.
Robbelen, G. D., Theobald, D. and Pascual- Villalobos, M. J. (1994). Variability, selection and performance of Calendula officinalis and Euphorbia lagascae for industrial seed-oil uses. In: Alternative oilseed and fiber crops for cool and wet regions of Europe. Proceeding of workshop, 7-8 April 1994 at Wageningen, CPRO- DLO, The Netherlands, pp. 60-73.
Sandhu, P. (1984). Effect of sowing dates, phosphorus, levels and herbicides on the response of Rhizobium inoculation in Lentil. Lens Newsletter. 11:35.
flower heads of Calendula may have impeded yield formation (ADAS consulting Ltd., 2002).
In this experiment biomass yield was determined by flower and seed, separately. Results suggested biomass yield has similar changes in seed and flower. On the whole, the earliest sowing date and the highest plant density have the greatest biomass yield (Tables 2 and 3).
2-Harvest index
Flower harvest index in 30 March sowing date was lower than the others (Table 2).This suggests that increasing growth season through earlier sowing date, caused increase plant vegetative structures to be greater than increasing plant reproductive structures.
The effect of plant density on flower harvest index was not significantly different (Tables 1 and 3). This suggests that producing reproductive and vegetative structures increased equally, as plant population increased.
Seed harvest index was increased by postponing sowing date (Table 2). Just like flower, this suggest that increasing growing season through early sowing date, caused increase plant vegetative structures to be greater than increasing plant reproductive structures.
Considering the fact that seed harvest index decreased when plant population increased (Table 3), and plant population did not have a significant effect on flower harvest index, it can be concluded that although flower production has increased in high density, flower fertilization decreased. Therefore, increasing seed yield was less than flower yield.
3- Flower number and diameter
The effect of sowing date and plant population on flower number per plant and per m2 was significant (Table 4). Late sowing date decreased flower number per plant (Table 5).
The effect of plant population on flower number per plant and per m2 was reverse. When plant population increased, flower number per plant decreased, but per m2 increased (Table 6) which results from increasing interplant competition.
Flower diameter was significantly different at plant populations and sowing dates. Flowers produced in late sowing dates were larger (probably because less flower production per plant in late sowing date causes less competition between flowers) (Table 5).
Increasing plant population significantly decreased flower diameter. This is because of increasing competition and mutual shading (Table 6).
Conclusion
In this experiment early sowing date and more plant population had the highest flower and seed yield. More flower yield of early sowing date was the result of increasing growth period and suitable climate condition
_||_ADAS consulting Ltd. (2002). Calendula as Agronomic Raw Material for Industrial Application (CARMINA). (Final project report). ADAS Terrington, Terrington St Clement, King,s Lynn, Norfolk.
Borm, G. and van Dijk, N. (1994). Effects of sowing time, seed rate and row distance on Calendula officinalis L. grown for seed. In: Alternative oil seed and fiber crops for cool and wet regions of Europe. Proceeding of a workshop, 7-8 April. Wageningen, CPRO-DLO, The Netherlands, pp. 203.
Cromack, H. T. H. and Smith, J. M. (1998). Calendula officinalis, production potential and crop agronomy in southern England. Industrial Crops and Products. 7: 223- 229.
Hadley, P. and Summer Field, R. J. (1983). Effect of temperature and photoperiod on reproductive development of selected grain legume. Field Crops Abstract. 19:43
Kalvatchev, Z., Walder, R. and Garzaro, D. (1997). Anti- HIV activity of extracts from calendula. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, vol.51(4): 176-180.
Majumdar, D. K. (1986). An overview of research on production technologies of lentil in India. Food Legume Research. 30: 1-13.
Martin, R. J. and Deo, B. (2000). Effect of plant population on Calendula officinalis flower production. New Zealand J. of Crop and Hortic. Sci. 28(1):37-44.
Robbelen, G. D., Theobald, D. and Pascual- Villalobos, M. J. (1994). Variability, selection and performance of Calendula officinalis and Euphorbia lagascae for industrial seed-oil uses. In: Alternative oilseed and fiber crops for cool and wet regions of Europe. Proceeding of workshop, 7-8 April 1994 at Wageningen, CPRO- DLO, The Netherlands, pp. 60-73.
Sandhu, P. (1984). Effect of sowing dates, phosphorus, levels and herbicides on the response of Rhizobium inoculation in Lentil. Lens Newsletter. 11:35.
flower heads of Calendula may have impeded yield formation (ADAS consulting Ltd., 2002).
In this experiment biomass yield was determined by flower and seed, separately. Results suggested biomass yield has similar changes in seed and flower. On the whole, the earliest sowing date and the highest plant density have the greatest biomass yield (Tables 2 and 3).
2-Harvest index
Flower harvest index in 30 March sowing date was lower than the others (Table 2).This suggests that increasing growth season through earlier sowing date, caused increase plant vegetative structures to be greater than increasing plant reproductive structures.
The effect of plant density on flower harvest index was not significantly different (Tables 1 and 3). This suggests that producing reproductive and vegetative structures increased equally, as plant population increased.
Seed harvest index was increased by postponing sowing date (Table 2). Just like flower, this suggest that increasing growing season through early sowing date, caused increase plant vegetative structures to be greater than increasing plant reproductive structures.
Considering the fact that seed harvest index decreased when plant population increased (Table 3), and plant population did not have a significant effect on flower harvest index, it can be concluded that although flower production has increased in high density, flower fertilization decreased. Therefore, increasing seed yield was less than flower yield.
3- Flower number and diameter
The effect of sowing date and plant population on flower number per plant and per m2 was significant (Table 4). Late sowing date decreased flower number per plant (Table 5).
The effect of plant population on flower number per plant and per m2 was reverse. When plant population increased, flower number per plant decreased, but per m2 increased (Table 6) which results from increasing interplant competition.
Flower diameter was significantly different at plant populations and sowing dates. Flowers produced in late sowing dates were larger (probably because less flower production per plant in late sowing date causes less competition between flowers) (Table 5).
Increasing plant population significantly decreased flower diameter. This is because of increasing competition and mutual shading (Table 6).
Conclusion
In this experiment early sowing date and more plant population had the highest flower and seed yield. More flower yield of early sowing date was the result of increasing growth period and suitable climate condition
